Kisses that Comfort
by Cheesey the Cat
Summary: Nothing is the same. What can Katniss do?


**Kisses **

**that**

**Comfort**

I sigh. Nothing is the same anymore. After winning the Hunger Games, everything was messed up. Gale now has a job. Peeta and I grow apart more often then ever. He works at the bakery, well the new bakery. His family's old one was destroyed by bombing. His family is dead. Mine still lives, but in District 13.

"You look sad today,"Peeta remarks.

"So do you,"I snap.

"And you know why,"he mutters.

Of course I know why. He is in love with me, but I'm not in love with him. I glance at him. My heart feels with sorrow and longing as he sets down the freshly baked bread.

"I would've brought cheese buns, but I couldn't find any cheese,"he busies himself by setting the table.

"Tonight, I thought we could have Haymitch over for supper. You know, a supper for the victors of District 12,"he explains.

"Sure, sounds great. A drink would be nice,"I smile.

He glares at me. I just smile back. His glare doesn't leave my gaze for moment, then he starts chopping vegetables.

"I'll go hunting, if you need any meat,"I offer.

"No need,"Peeta starts,"You're boyfriend already brought some over."

"He's not my boyfriend,"I retort.

"Seems like it,"he mutters, then throws some rabbit into a pot of stew.

I busy myself by tying knots in my rope. I casually slip my gaze over to Peeta. He's filling a bowl with stew, every once in awhile glancing at me. Our eyes meet, his blue ones staring intensely at my gray ones, then flitting away.

"Oh, come on. I won't bite, maybe,"I snicker.

"I'm afraid I'll get hurt,"he snorts.

I laugh, harsh and cold. He chuckles. Then all goes silent as Haymitch totters in. His breath smells of liquor. His appearance is amazingly okay, though his hair is sticking out at odd angles.

"Where's the liquor?"Haymitch asks.

"There is none,"Peeta answers.

"What?"Haymitch yells.

"I want you to remain sober throughout supper,"Peeta growls.

"Oh, ok. You want to make sure your precious little Katniss doesn't get drunk,"Haymitch sneers.

I look at him, not especially hurt, but hurt. He looks at me and so does Peeta.

"Sorry, didn't see you there,"Haymitch apologizes.

"No, it's okay. I don't need to get drunk. If I do, then my nightmares will be worse,"I reply calmly.

Peeta nods his head at me as if saying my nightmares don't need to be worse. I know why. Peeta stays in his own house, all alone like me. So if he isn't here then no one would be there to comfort me.

"Maybe I'll have one drink,"my hand reaches for the bottle on the table, but Peeta smacks it away.

"None,"he says sternly.

"All right, no need to be the mother I never had,"I snarl.

At this, Haymitch and Peeta both stare at me.

"Katniss, time to eat,"is the answer I get.

I stumble over my own feet on my way to the table. Peeta's there to catch me, our eyes locking on each other. For a moment I'm tempted to kiss him. So I do. Our lips meet and my breath catches in my throat. I cough, but he never pulls back. Finally, we both break apart for air. Haymitch is watching, all the while chugging the liquor. But there's no mistake that what he just witnessed was me falling for Peeta once again. Haymitch knew I loved Peeta. There was nothing that would say I didn't have feelings for him. Peeta lunges at Haymitch, snatching the bottle from his grasp.

"Haymitch!"he shouts.

Haymitch mocks Peeta and I giggle. Peeta glares at me with ice cold eyes. His familiar soft blue gaze is gone, replaced by cold anger. His eyes are chips of ice. A shudder passes through my body. Those same eyes, the ones that made me fall for him, now burned my heart.

"Stop that!"I shout.

"Stop what?"Peeta asks, his eyes now a soft blue.

"Stop staring at me!"my patience is running on a low.

"You don't seem to mind,"he murmurs, then goes back to the liquor bottle.

Haymitch sulks quietly while Peeta and I stare at each other. Our gazes emotionless, our faces expressionless. Finally, Peeta breaks the trance.

"I'm going for a walk,"he sighs.

Peeta exits, followed by Haymitch. I tiptoe across the room and press my ear against the frosty window. The cold air nips at my ear, but I don't move my head away. I can barley make out what they're saying.

"Boy, she doesn't deserve you,"Haymitch says.

Peeta mutters something I can't hear.

"You know good and well she's in love with you,"Haymitch presses.

"Sure,"Peeta's foot scuffs the ground.

"She is. She said herself she was,"Haymitch raises his voice.

"How come it's so hard to believe you?"Peeta asks wryly.

"I don't know, Boy, but I do know this,"Haymitch begins,"If you don't start showing her you still love her, she's gonna turn to Gale."

This catches Peeta off guard.

"She can't,"his words hang in his throat.

"She will."

I hear Peeta run through the front door, see him look around wildly, then run up the stairs. I'm huddled in a corner. Peeta races down the white steps, creating a squeaky noise as his shoetips barley touch the cold concrete.

"Katniss!"he yells.

I croak. I feel like a bomb has been dropped on me. I lost my mother, Prim, Gale, now I was losing Peeta. Peeta calls once more and I let out a scream. I feel two strong arms wrap around me, pulling me close, and a hushed whisper sounds.

"It's okay, Katniss. What's wrong?"Peeta asks.

I bury my face into his chest, feeling the tears slip from my eyes and roll down my cheeks. My head starts to hurt. It was all a dream, right? Nothing has gone wrong. Prim is alive. Gale is my best friend. We're about to go hunting. I was not in the Hunger Games. President Snow did not threaten me. Rue is not dead. I don't even know Rue. More tears spill onto Peeta's shirt. He caresses my face, feeling my cheek bones, making me relax. I silently drift into an uneasy slumber.

When I wake, I'm in my bed. Peeta isn't with me. Maybe it was a dream. But then I notice what room I'm in. I scream. No answer. I scream even louder. Still no answer. I scream as loud as I can until I feel like my head and lungs will burst. Then all goes black.

I'm stabbed, I can feel the knife between my shoulder blades. The warm, sticky fluid drips, soaking my shirt until I feel a heavy wait. I saunter into a pool of blood, none of it mine. The taste of blood bathes my tongue. I scream, a shriller one. The blood chokes me. My breathing is cut off and I drown.

This time when I wake, I'm in Peeta's arms. My body is curled into a ball and wrapped in a blanket. My hands are clenched into fists and on Peeta's chest. I slowly lift my head, meeting his one open eye. Finding my gaze has dropped to his lips, I look away, flustered. When I look up again, both eyes are squeezed shut and a grin is plastered on his face.

"Smug as always,"I whisper.

"Don't forget the cocky girl beside me,"he whispers back.

He places his lips on my neck. They brush the faded bruises and work they're way to my lips. When he kisses me, I feel fireworks go off inside me. He pulls away.

"That was nice,"my voice a hoarse whisper.

He chuckles. My lips meet his grinning ones and again fireworks go off, stronger than ever.

"You love me? Yes or no?"he asks.

"See if this answers your question,"I smile and kiss him more passionately.

"I'll need one more to confirm it,"he replies.

I kiss him lightly.

"More,"he urges.

"No more. I'm hungry,"I giggle.

He's downstairs in a second. By the sound of it, I guess he's making breakfast.

"Lovely,"I say when I see the food.

"Your favorite,"he pulls a chair out from under the granite table.

He has no time to sit before I ask for seconds. When he places the second in front of me and I stare at it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Then eat."

By the time I'm halfway through my fifth plate, he takes the food away.

"Why'd you do that?"I grouch.

"Don't want you sick," is his answer.

We don't talk for another hour. I then break the unbearable silence.

"Do you love me?" I blurt out.

"Of course!" he laughs.

"Ok," I try to shake off the question.

"Why would you ask that?"

"No reason."

"Okay, then."

Before he can say anymore I'm in his lap. My arms are around his neck and I'm pulled in. About a minute later, I notice Gale standing in front of me.

"Hey,"Gale says.

"Hey,"Peeta and I say at the same time.

"You almost done?"Gale asks.

I get out of Peeta's lap, smooth my pants and take a seat across from Gale.

"What brings you here?"I ask as if noting happened.

"Fresh game,"he answers dryly.

"Thought you had a job."

"Didn't take it."

"Why not?"

"Thought I could live my life a little more freely."

"Hmm, freely. A little too freely for you not to knock."

"Thought you'd be out."

"You thought wrong."

"I know, I'm not as smart as you."

"You interrupted something."

"Nothing important."

All the while Gale and I talk, Peeta stares. My hard glare is focused on Gale's anger lit one.

"Next time knock."

"Won't be a next time."

"Why not?"

"You can hunt."

"So?"

"You can do something besides making kissy faces with him."

Peeta slams his fist onto the table.

"That's enough!" he shouts.

Gale stands,"Can't take it."

Peeta takes his offer,"I can handle it."

"You think you're special because you won those stupid Games,"Gale scowls.

"I know I can take you."

"We'll see about that," Gale throws his fist into Peeta's jaw.

Peeta then throws his own fist at Gale but misses. Gale is about to punch him again when a knife goes whizzing by.

"Haymitch!" I say.

"Couldn't let him beat Peeta into pulp,"Haymitch hiccups.

Haymitch is drunk, I can tell. Peeta protests, but Haymitch totters up to Gale.

"Leave. Peeta and Katniss are in love. She will never love you more than friend,"Haymitch snarls.

Gale turns and walks to the door. Casting one last glance at me then Peeta, he scowls, then slinks into the frosty, nippy air.

"You handled that well,"I say to Haymitch sarcastically.

"Didn't I? Now where's the liquor?"he asks.

I point to a cabinet. Peeta looks at me with worried eyes.

"Don't worry. Like Haymitch said, I love you more than I love Gale."

Somehow that doesn't convince him, so I walk over to him and kiss him.

"See,"I whisper,"I love you."

"Uh-huh,"he mutters.

I eye him. He eyes me. Then finally he kisses me on the cheek and goes up stairs. I follow him. His shirt is upstairs, where it has remained throughtout this whole discussion. I sneak behind my dresser. He eyes the room, tracing every line of furniture.

"I just can't tell what is real and fake anymore,"he touches his lips with his fingers,"Are her kisses fake or real?"

A tear slips from my eye, rolls down my cheek, another follows, then another. He thought I was fake? I wasn't fake. I was being real.

"You think I'm fake?"I whisper.

He looks around, I can feel his eyes stop on my dresser.

"Katniss, I don't think you're fake,"he starts.

I start at this. My body tenses, my breath comes in short rasps.

"You are fake when you're around...Gale,"Peeta snaps.

I breath, he hasn't noticed I'm here. His eyes travel to my bed. The sheets are rumpled from where I kicked and screamed.

"Oh, Katniss,"he chokes.

I could feel the salty taste of tears in my mouth. My throat made these horrific croaking sounds.

"Katniss?"he asks.

My head throbs with pain, my tears are choking me.

"Katniss," he searches the room until he finds me.

I'm huddled in the corner of the dresser, my tears choking me, turning my face purple. His eyes are rimmed with red.

"Katniss,"he repeats over and over.

"Peeta, you think I'm a fake. Wait- I am a fake to you," I cry.

"Katniss,"he sobs.

"Stop, Peeta, just stop,"I cry even more,"You say I'm a fake. I am not a fake!"

"You're not! I know you're not!" he wraps his strong, muscular arms around me.

My hands travel up his arms and up to his face.

"Why would you say I'm a fake?" I ask, my gray eyes pleading.

"You are not a fake, but you are when you're around him,"he kisses my forehead.

I push his lips away. Then he looks into my pleading eyes, wipes my tears away with his lips, and gently presses my head against his chest.

"You really love me?" I ask.

"Yes, I do,"he replies.

"Then why call me a fake?" I growl.

He lets out a little laugh. He then presses his soft lips against my hard, cold ones. He gently massages my lips with his, warming them. I press harder, urging him to massage them more. His lips upturn in the corners of his mouth.

"Ok, enough," he states.

I close the gap, again pressing harder than I should. He pulls away. My teeth hook his lip and I pull him back in. My tongue slinks to the corners of his mouth, then draws back quickly.

"Ok, now it's enough,"Peeta states, more sternly this time.

I look at him pleadingly. He lets out another tiny laugh.

"I need you," I whisper.

"And I need you,"he whispers back.

There we sit, in each others arms, knowing that we are both truly, happily in love and will stay that way forever. I kiss him one more time to confirm that these are the **Kisses that Comfort**.


End file.
